Catnip
by vividdecadence
Summary: Ambushed by the Marines and forced to work together, Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid need to face teamwork and strange feelings. Kid x Law, Killer x Penguin.
1. Chapter 1

He isn't sure what had woken him up in the end.

Possibly the sun shining brightly in his face. Possibly the salty water splashing against his feet. Possibly the ground shaking lightly, following a certain rhythm. Possibly the seagulls screeching above him. Possibly the pain throbbing throughout his entire body and eventually becoming manifest in his left shinbone.

He blinks once, then slowly opens his eyes to the bright light. He feels warm. Considering the sun already high above him, it must be around noon already. He quietly wonders for how long he's been asleep like this. His fingers run over hot, dark metal. The black surface has captured the heat and nearly burns his skin. His right hand clutches his katana and he's surprised that he didn't let go of it.

Memories come back to mind. The pictures are vague, but the explosions and screams still resound in his head. He remembers the call for a gathering. He remembers seeing a massive black ship made of steel and iron, decorated in skulls and pins. He had never seen such an evil looking ship in his life before. He faintly remembers the weird jolly roger as both the black ship and his own surfaced submarine entered into the bay.

Then the black ship exploded, the bow flying towards the submarine, demolishing the long glass and ripping part of the deck down into the sea with it. He remembers the marine flags appear behind and the canons firing from the shore. He remembers that he's been lured into a trap. His ship and someone else's.

He props up to his elbows. His clothes are soaked and cling to his body like a second skin. One shoe has gone missing and the trouser on the leg is rippled and torn. The pain rushes sharply through his body and he hisses as he casts a look down at the wound. Blood everywhere. Both his leg and his head are throbbing and a faint memory of a blow right to where he was standing comes back to his mind. Multiple splinters had shot through his leg. The bone might be damaged as well, the tissue certainly is. He clutches his teeth and curses under his breath.

Only then does he notice that he is floating on a massive piece of metal somewhere near the shore of some island. Floating on the water. Unable to swim since he's a devil fruit user.

"Jeez… lucky me. Could've easily drowned."

He looks around but cannot find any other person. Some pieces of wreckage float on the waves around him, crashing softly on shore every now and then. They don't belong to his submarine however. The black metal below him does not either. It must be a part of the other ship that apparently has been blown to pieces.

Since he can't swim and feels no need to paddle in the water with his leg bleeding like this, he decides to wait until the waves eventually wash him ashore.

It's not until late afternoon that he finally feels sandy ground below the metal and the rocking movement ceases. He had fallen asleep again and now wakes up, due to the sudden lack of movement. A soft breeze blows through the palm trees behind him, he takes a deep breath and feels relieved. Anxious somehow, but then again relieved that he is still alive. Drowning would be such a pitiful death for a pirate.

He gets up, heavily leaning on his katana. He's sure that he's not doing any good to the blade by abusing it as a walking frame but he has no other choice. He shields his eyes from the sun with one hand, noticing that his hat has gone missing as well. His lips form a slight pout. It had taken years for him to find the perfect hat and now it was gone. Just like that. He'd have to start looking for one all over again.

His eyes roam the shore. Metal, boxes and drained sacks everywhere… and a dead animal. He squints his eyes and furrows his forehead.

The first steps are rather wobbly and pain shoots all the way up to his chest but he walks nonetheless. He has to get away from here eventually, find a village and medical treatment. It's mere curiosity that leads him to the blurry shape a few meters away. From afar it certainly looks like a dead animal. Wet fur, a dirty mixture of different shades of brown and dark reds. Only as he comes closer does he spot the black boots peeking from under the thick fur. A coat?

He stops dead on his track, staring at the allegedly dead animal.

Yellow pants, dotted in red and black, obviously blood stained. Crimson hair, soaked but unmistakably spiked up. He doesn't even need to see the face to recognize the person lying at his feet. He crouches down next to the unmoving body and reluctantly puts a hand on the furry shoulder, carefully avoiding the golden spikes that glisten in the bright sunlight.

Turning him on his back proves to be difficult. He doubts that it's only because of the drenched coat. The man before him still is a fucking beast and he weights a hell of a lot. It takes him four or five tries until he finally pulls him back and nearly drops on his own bottom in the progress.

The brow less face winces due to the sudden movement and he slowly opens his eyes, returning from a state of sacred unconsciousness. So he's still alive then. Quite remarkable.

"Mr Eustass."

His gaze shifts to his right and he recognizes a certain raven-haired imp cowering at his side. He knows that smirk and those dark circles underneath the other mans' eyes.

"Your make-up is smudgy, Trafalgar."

His voice sounds horribly raspy and he violently coughs up a lung full of saltwater. As he tries to sit up, a sharp flash of pain rushes through his head and he feels as if his eyes were gonna pop out of his face any minute. Initially he raises one of his claw-like hands up and wipes away the trail of blood that is running down his temple.

"Pretty laceration you got there. Right above your left eyebrow. Seems like your goggles have shattered."

"And why would that be so amusing to you?"

"Probably because I can't stand you."

Trafalgar Law smiles innocently.

It's a scary sight but fortunately Eustass Kid isn't one to be scared easily. Instead he scolds at the smaller man and deliberately turns to look into a different direction. Kids blood red eyes wander over the shore and widen as he notices the many pieces of black metal. Obviously former parts of his ship.

"What the hell happened?"

"We got ambushed it seems."

The ease in those words confuses Kid for a split second before he reminds himself that he's talking to an obvious lunatic here. Nothing to wonder about.

"We should try to find a spot in the shades. Spend the night here on the beach and search for a village by daybreak."

"Why the fuck would I stay with you?"

"I'm a doctor."

Law states the obvious and Kid curls his lips, evidently displeased.

"I'll treat your wounds, you support me while walking. Sounds fair to me. As soon as we've reached a village we can go separate ways."

Kid huffs. He glares at the still smiling doctor for a few seconds before he rises to his feet, nearly losing his balance on the way. His head is throbbing badly and he feels the warm blood flowing down his cheek again. Fucking… fuck!

Law reaches a hand up to him as he starts dusting his coat, ignoring that the fur is still soaking wet. As he looks down he first notices the amount of tiny scratches and wounds covering his neck and bare chest. He also notices his revolver missing, while the dagger is still plugged away. He then looks down to the outstretched hand and examines Law with a questioning look.

"What?", he snarles.

"You might care to help me up, _Captain_."

"Or I might not care at all."

"Not very polite."

Kid smiles, looking like a wolf baring his teeth. Law shivers imperceptibly. The massive redhead reaches out and digs his black painted claws in Laws wrist, violently pulling the slender man up to his feet. A bolt of pain shoots through the doctors' leg again and he suppresses any noise. Showing any sign of weakness before Eustass Kid sure is like a death sentence.

"Will the palm trees over there do?"

Law glances into the direction that Kid points out and notices a circle of palm trees, shady and sheltered from wind.

"Nicely."

He's well aware that pairing up with Eustass Kid might be the worst idea of his life. After all the Kids Pirates Captain is a well-known psychopath with a very, very short temper. But then again he might be the most interesting person Law has ever encountered.


	2. Chapter 2

„You might suffer from concussion. Can you see clearly?"

The palm leafs above his head are kind of blurry. He watches them rock back and forth in the breeze, desperately trying to ignore the blathering next to him.

"Yes."

Kids response sounds lame and indifferent.

Since he's dragged Law over to the sheltered group of palm trees, he's lost track of time.

He still feels the soaked clothes of the smaller man cling to his skin. He still smells the scent that wafted over every now and then. A mixture of salt, sun and some disturbing fragrance that reminded him of disinfectant. Law smells like a dentist practice that was flooded with seawater. Kid decides to detest it for now.

"Are you sure?"

The only response this time is a low grunt.

Law is leaning on his elbow, lying on his side to have a better look at his involuntary patient. He has managed to talk Kid into taking his coat off to be used as a cover they could lie on. He had imagined it to smell of wet dog but all he smells ever since he came close to the redhead is the distinct scent of rusty iron. It pierces his nose but he doesn't mind much. He's smelled things far more rotten before and he's got a strong stomach.

"Look, you shouldn't mess around with a concussion. It can turn worse and we'd need to hospitalize you. Since I'm sure you'd be a nuisance to any doctor, I'd love to prevent that."

By the time Law has finished his sentence, Kid has gladly chosen to ignore the raven-haired doctor and keeps staring up in the sky. He definitely does not suffer from concussion and he's convinced that the throbbing headache just won't fade because of Laws constant babbling.

Even though the surgeons voice is low and calm, it still annoys him. Everything simply annoys him now. It annoys him that he's been ambushed that easily. His ship is torn to pieces and probably somewhere on the ocean floor right now. His crew is fuck knows where and he has a weird feeling in his stomach that some of them might be dead by now. And in order to prevent sand from entering their wounds Law is abusing his coat as a picnic blanket!

"You're ignoring me, right?"

"Right."

Law can't help but show a minimal smile.

"Consider yourself lucky, Trafalgar. Any other guy would be dead by now."

"I know."

Kid glances over, at least for a few seconds, to see Laws face all calm, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. That guy surely is nuts. Men as fucked up as Law are the most dangerous ones.

Still Kid does not feel uneasy around the doctor. In fact he doesn't really give a flying fuck about his companion. He's well aware that the smaller man could kill him in an instant but that works vice versa. It's quite a secure situation. Predictable for both of them since both are too weak and wounded to start a serious fight.

Law tries to make Kid follow his fingers with his eyes one last time but gets no response. The redheads' lips are firmly pressed together, forming a thin line and Law can tell that he's pissing him off.

He sits himself up, clenches his jaw and pulls his injured leg closer to his body. Fortunately most of the sand has washed off due to the water, but the salt stings in the open wound. The sun is already starting to set and examining the wound becomes hard in the fading light. Leaving it until tomorrow could lead to a nasty infection. Treating it now might do too.

"Can I borrow your dagger?"

Kid purses his lips again.

"You wanna stab me?"

"Actually, yes. But not right now."

"What do you need it for?"

"Self-surgery."

"Are you fucking insane?", so much for ignoring Law.

"I'd need your help with it though. This is probably gonna hurt a little and I don't want to draw attention to us."

"What would you want me to do, huh? Gag you?"

"Something along those lines."

Kid smirks like a predator. The chances of Law suffering greatly in a few minutes amuse him to no end and he's not even trying to disguise it.

He probably should be grateful. Law has examined the laceration on his forehead, as well as the numerous bleeding cuts along his chest and neck and so far Kid hasn't even come close to thanking him. He's not planning to either. After all he's never asked for treatment.

Eventually he pulls the dagger from the holster attached to the belt that is currently lying beside him and hands it over to Law, watching him curiously.

"You need to sit behind me. Cover my mouth, but don't choke me. Make sure I don't wince too much."

Again Laws voice sounds calm and carefree and Kid decides not to comment, as he sits himself up and shifts behind the doctor. He's not keen on physical contact usually. He prefers not to touch people. Law on the other hand doesn't seem to mind at all. He skids back right between Kids opened legs until his back hits the redheads' broad chest. Kid grimaces, but doesn't make a sound.

The Captain wrinkles his nose at the touch and the disturbing smell that fills his nostrils again.

"You stink."

"Why, thank you."

Law leans back, putting one of Kids muscular arms around his torso.

"Getting too close for you?"

"Shut the fuck up and get on with it or I'll operate on you myself!"

"Playing doctors and nurses, are we?" 

"You have a death wish, right?"

Law chuckles. Considering that he's going to operate on his own leg in a minute, he seems to be in a pretty good mood. Kid warily watches the back of the doctors' head. Law reminds him once more to make him shut up and Kid sighs in response, indicating that actually he still doesn't give a shit. It's Laws leg after all and if he felt like slicing it open without anesthetics that would be his fucking problem.

The first cut is the deepest.

The splinters are numerous, some deeper than others. He has no water to wash the blood off. He can barely see in the slowly fading sunlight. He's in so much pain that soon the cover over his mouth won't suffice anymore. Law feels his head spin as he fights unconsciousness. He has to remove at least some splinters, otherwise he can forget about his leg.

Kid watches the blood run down and drip into the sand. He seems fascinated. A coppery reek fills the air. The redhead, unconcerned by Laws pain, only snaps back from his rigor as Law vigorously bites down on his hand to guzzle a scream.

As the blade moves through skin, tissue and flesh, picking up splinters here and there, tears form in Laws eyes but he doesn't shed any of them. Instead he sinks his teeth deeper in Kids hand, tearing the skin until he tastes blood on his tongue. No sound emerges from the Captain however. Instead he holds the trembling torso in a firm, nearly breathtaking grip and calmly watches the scenario.

Darkness is creeping over the island and the full moon shines down, delivering at least a little light.

Law has curled up into a ball, pieces of his remaining trouser wrapped around the heavily bleeding wound. He shivers and feels his temperature rise. Clearly he underestimated the chill of the night.

"If my muscles keep contracting like that, the blood flow will never stop."

He's more or less talking to himself, he knows. Since the surgery, Kid had gone back to his disinterested state, occasionally casting a glance at the blood stained cloth. Law can tell that the beast next to him is highly amused, even though he doesn't admit it. It's a dangerous sparkle hidden in the crimson eyes.

"Does that mean you're gonna die?"

"Not too soon."

Kid sighs, nearly sounding disappointed.

"I wanna make a deal with you."

"Huh?"

The redhead lazily turns his face and examines the trembling doctor.

"You're a big guy, right? Your body stores loads of energy to keep you warm. How about I offer my medical services to you and in return you be my personal radiator until we reach a village?"

Kid backs off a few centimeters, clearly displeased by the offer. He remembers Law as being blunt but asking for physical contact that ruthlessly takes him aback for a moment. No one ever had the guts to simply ask something like that from Eustass Captain Kid. No one.

"There's not many who want to touch me by choice, you know?"

The confusion is perfectly covered by a brutish smirk, clearly put on to frighten Law off.

"You don't need to do anything. Just stay the way you are right now."

Kid eyes him suspiciously, doesn't complain anymore though. Simply considering it as a silent agreement, Law shifts closer and curls up against the bare, broad chest. As soon as he feels the heat radiating from the muscular torso, he closes his eyes and falls asleep within a few minutes.

Meanwhile a shadow has left its hideout, moving around a sleeping town. Only a few kilometers from the beach lays a small fishing village, occasionally granting shelter to travelers and pirates alike. The bars are empty but a couple of stores are still lit up.

"Thank you very much. The supplies should be sufficient."

Penguins voice sounds muffled. The band collar of his suit reaches up to his nose, his eyes are hidden under the familiar bonnet with his name boldly written on it. A reminder of the days when he first joined Laws crew and Casquette would keep nicking his stuff. He stuffs his pockets with bandages and antibiotics as the chemist smiles at the young man.

"It's an unusual hour for a major shop like that."

"Yes, my apologies. It's a bit of an emergency."

"I won't ask. Us village folk is not very curious, you know?"

"Ah."

The old man can't see him smile, which doesn't concern him though.

He inhales deeply as he steps out on the streets again and flinches the next moment. Since he got washed up on shore about two days ago he managed to find a cheap hostel and after close self-examination he noticed that he ruptured at least two ribs during the attack on their submarine. Equipped with bandages, medicine and a splint he heads back to he hostel.

Just a few yards from his place to crash he notices a figure leaning against a wall, well hidden in the shadow of a rundown tavern. The man breathes heavily and every breath evokes a shallow whistling, as if he were blowing through holes.

"Who's there?"

Neither his face nor his composure show any fear as Penguin glances into the dark. He'd know how to defend himself, even with cracked ribs.

He steps closer towards the dark and his eyes widen in shock as he recognizes the man, heavily leaning against the wall. He bleeds severely from various wounds, barely able to stand up.

"Oi… aren't you one of Eustass Kids' crew?"


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update. I didn't forget about the ficlet though and I hope you'll enjoy the new chapter. I got plenty of comments and I wanna thank all of you for your compliments, advises and for letting me know that you enjoy my little story.

Also yukidaru asked who Penguin is: he is one of Odas original characters and a member of Laws pirate crew. He wears a hat with his name on it. If you google him, you'll see that I didn't make him up myself.

And now on to the story! Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Pain. Numbness. Pain. Numbness again.<p>

One moment he lies awake, next he drifts from unconsciousness to a tight sleep, shivering every now and then. His leg feels like it caught fire. Hot and aching. He opens his eyes with an effort and glares down at the stained cloth wrapped around his shinbone. The blood has dried and turned black. Ignoring the salty scent in the air he smells a faint reek of pus and sighs. It got infected then. Brilliant.

He shifts, sitting up and immediately regretting it as the morning chill hits him full on. By his side, he finds Kid sleeping like a log.

The Captain has his nose nuzzled into the thick fur of his coat, somewhat looking like an animal during hibernation. His breath is steady and regular and Law is amazed at how Kid is in total ease with his own pain.

The bleeding on his forehead has stopped, some of the cuts along his chest look infected as well, but nothing to worry about.

A small smile spreads across Laws face, despite the pain and bitterness.

He surely has never met anyone as confident and fearless as the redhead before. Sleeping here, not giving a shit about anything, knowing that if necessary, he could kill any invader in the blink of an eye.

'Enviable', Law ponders, even though his strength is on the same level.

He shifts, triggering a low grunt from the man sleeping by his side and only then notices the heavy arm wrapped around his waist.

He smirks, already imagining Kid talking his way out of this, should he care to point it out. So the great Captain Kid gets a little clingy at night, huh?

"Oi."

No response.

"Oi, spider monkey."

Kid growls and turns on his back, blinking irritated.

"Whatdidyacallme?", he slurs, obviously still sleepy.

"Nothing. We should get moving. The sun is rising already and I don't wanna travel in the midday heat."

"You wanna leave like… now?"

Obviously the redhead is used to sleeping in.

"I do. My leg is infected and I need medication."

"Well isn't that bloody marvelous."

Kid gets up eventually, ignoring the pain throbbing in his head. He feels dizzy for a moment, trying to keep his composure. Could it be a concussion after all? He shrugs the thought off and stretches, his spine articulately snapping.

Law wrinkles his nose.

"Do you drink milk and eat cheese on a regular basis?"

Slowly the redhead turns and stares at the doctor sitting by his feed.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Someone of your weight and body frame will need a hell of lot of calcium to keep the bones firm. Same goes for vitamins and magnesium. I guess you work out, meaning you need a proper diet to go with it but you don't seem like the kind of person to bother with dieting properly which is why I asked in the first-"

"Can you just shut the fuck up? Jeez, stop being so fucking random or I'll leave you here to die!"

"Not a morning person, huh?"

"Just die."

"That's rude."

"Just die, please?"

* * *

><p>He tries to keep the rattling low and quiet but feels like he's failing miserably. The amount of blood that's being washed down the sink should probably scare him to death, but his patient is fine. A little drained maybe, but he'll get by eventually. He cleans the scalpel he had bought the other day, along with the two kidney basins. His medical equipment is far from being perfect, but better than nothing.<p>

Drying the shimmering object in his hands with a bathroom towel, he glances into the living room area. The place is clean; his bed on the couch neatly tucked away, pillows accurate, no signs of the emergency operation of last night left anymore.

The window is wide open, letting some fresh air and sunshine drift into the room to get rid of the heavy rusty smell of dried blood.

His patient is lying in bed, the blanket covering his lower body up to his chest. He's bandaged nearly from head to toe and here and there blood starts leaking through the bandages already. Good thing he put a bunch of towels on the sheets, before placing the – now sleeping – body there.

The way back to the tiny hotel had been rough. The man weighs far more than looks would tell and he had continued to drop unconscious every now and then. Penguin had half carried; half dragged the taller guy back to his room, hoping he wouldn't die on him on the way. A bit of hush money would keep the owner quiet, plus the promise to not fuck up the hotel room.

When he had tried to take the mask off, the other mans hand had skyrocketed, jerking his hands away, nearly smashing his wrist on the bedside table. He hadn't tried taking it off since, wondering how a half dead guy like the one before him could still build up so much strength to keep someone away. He hadn't resisted the rest of the treatment though; even staying still while Penguin had removed a couple of bullets and splinters.

"Tough guy", the heart pirate mumbles in his band collar, still drying the surgical tools.

He barely notices the other man flinch a little and it's not until he hears heavy, rattled breath that he returns to the bedroom.

"You awake?"

The masked man makes a hissing sound, probably noticing the pain finally.

"Where am I?", his voice sounds dry and a little hollow due to the mask.

"You're in a hotel room."

"And who are you?"

Penguin feels uncomfortable. He can't see the guys' eyes and it's making him nervous. After all Kid's people are supposed to be some dangerous folk and he trusts this guy to still be strong, even though he can barely move at the moment.

"I'm one of Trafalgar Laws crew. I took care of your wounds."

He believes this to be sufficient.

"Your name's Killer, right?"

"How do you know?"

"You're a supernova."

He can't move. His arms and legs feel heavy; his torso seems to be filled with concrete. He can't even lift his head properly. He stares at the guy in front of him, irritated that he can't see his face. A collar and a bonnet only leaving a narrow slit cover it. The tip of the guys nose is visible; the rest of his face remains hidden in the shadows.

"How are you feeling?"

Killer remains quiet for a while, apparently pondering over something.

"As if hit by a train."

"You're injuries wouldn't be worse if you had actually been hit by a train. Wonder you're still alive."

"I'm quite sturdy."

"I can tell."

It's quite remarkable actually that the two of them are able to understand each other even though none of them speaks clearly.

Penguin settles at the foot of the bed, watching the Kid pirate quietly. His voice is muffled, but sounds calm.

"I'd like to continue my examination but you'd have to take off your mask for tha-"

"I will not take off my mask!"

Penguin blinks. That came quickly… and clearly.

"I should really check for wounds in your face, you still seem to be bleeding from somewhere."

"My face is fine, mind your own business!"

The smaller man is clearly irritated. He's spent the entire night trying to save this mans life and now he seriously refuses any proper treatment?

"You might have some nasty infection you could die from."

"I'm not letting you see my face."

"Hm."

Penguin watches his patient for a while, trying to grasp what is going on. He gets up and turns around eventually, taking the keys to the hostel room from the bedside table.

"What are you doing?"

Killer sounds leery, a little aggressive maybe but too weak to be actually able to do anything about his state.

"I better buy some straws. Unless you only wanna drink in the dark."

"I don't mind that as long as you won't see my face."

"So it would be fine if I closed the curtains and drained out all the lights in here?"

He can barely move his head with the heavy mask tied to it but Penguin recognizes a faint nodding. He leaves the windows open but closes the curtains, even pinning them together with a spare acus so the wind won't blow them apart. He switches the light in the bathroom on, making sure he can't properly see the bed but the area in front and then looks around the dim room.

"Is that alright?"

"I suppose so."

"I'm gonna need some light for examination but I'll tell you beforehand so you can put your mask back on."

"Why are you doing this?"

Penguin fills a glas of water and places it on the dark bedside table.

"Why shouldn't I?"

He can't see his patient clearly. Only some outlines, spots where the faint shimmer of the light does hit the bed but he hears the jaring of leather and Killers next words are spoken clearly in a rather deep but somewhat pleasant voice.

"Well, thanks."

"There's no use in me asking why I'm not supposed to see your face right?"

"Well, why can't I see yours?"

Only then does Penguin realize that his own face is just as covered up, hidden in shadows.

"Touché."


	4. Chapter 4

And again it's been ages, I know. I'll use this little spot here for a tiny remark: my updates will be irregular at all times *laughs* Whether I can write or not depends a) on the time I have at hand, b) on my inspiration for the ficlet and c) simply on whether I feel like writing or not. So please don't be disappointed if an update takes months. I won't forget about the story, I promise.

Again, thanks for everyone's nice comments!

* * *

><p>Kid sounds like a steam train.<p>

Even though they had set off in the late morning, they seem to have been walking for ages. It's not the walk that's putting the Captain even further off his non-existent good mood, it's the heat that has started to rise since midday. The sun is burning down mercilessly and while Law hopples along, leaning on his katana, Kid is slowly melting under his thick fur coat.

"Oi, lame duck."

The redhead huffs and puffs silently, trying to prevent Law from noticing that he's actually quite breathless already.

"Would you finally get your fucking arse in gear? I didn't plan on dying on a fucking country road."

Law glares at him and Kid responds with a questioning look. What? He did ask nicely after all.

"I'm sorry that my mouldering leg is such a nuisance to you."

"Well you fucking should be."

The Doctor sighs and hopples on.

Until a while ago, it actually was quite fun to piss the Captain off bit by bit, watching him growl and grunt and pull faces like a bulldog, whose favourite toy has been taken away. But the heat, combined with the pain in his leg are slowly taking over and the walk becomes insufferable for the raven haired man.

"You could carry me, you know? We'd be quicker then."

"I could just leave you and I'd be quicker then."

"Do you even know where we're going?"

Kid remains silent and pouts. Of course he wouldn't know. And he doesn't care much either to be honest.

The heat is not helping their wounds to heal. Law feels the blood pulsating in his veins, rushing through them at a mad speed. He feels his leg burning and a thick mixture of blood and puss is leaking out, soaking the cloth wrapped around the wound. Kid's cut on the forehead has sprung open again and started bleeding a little, which the Captain doesn't seem to notice though, probably believing it to be sweat, rather than blood.

"Didn't you say you wanted to reach a village by midday?"

"Yes. So?"

"Where is your fucking village then?"

"I don't know. Would you mind watching your language a little? You sound like scum."

It's amazing how Law can still scold the bigger man, even though his leg is nearly killing him. Kid, who has hoped that Law might eventually collapse sometime soon, knits his non-existent brows.

"What do you care about my fucking language?"

"See, that's just what I'm talking about. Try and say something nice for a change, I'm sure you're creative enough to do that without using the f-word."

Kid seems to ponder for a while, staring up at the pale blue sky. Law glances over his shoulder to watch the Captain and can already imagine that guy to have been totally unable to cope at school, if he ever visited one that is.

"So?"

"Bite me."

"Still rude!"

"But no f-word."

Kid grins smugly and passes Law, feeling a little accomplished actually.

"It's no wonder that people try and stay away from you. After all you are – Cat!"

"I'm a what?"

The redhead stares at Law in disbelief until he notices that the doctor is pointing at something. Something that Kid would've gladly overlooked, if it hadn't started rubbing its head against his leg a second later.

A small grey tabby cat is weaselling around his feet, rubbing it's head against the Captains legs and purring.

Kids face is of mere disgust, while Law cannot supress a grin.

"I never knew you were good with animals."

"I like them roasted, usually."

The cat earns a small kick in the side and Kid hurries on, exhaling sharply. Today everything seems to be pissing him off, most of all Law, who's still grinning at the broad, fur coated back.

* * *

><p>"I'm coming in!"<p>

Killer shifts to an upright position, placing the mask beside him on the bed, just in case. He shouldn't be sitting like that, his wounds immediately remind him, but he hates lying down all day.

The door to the dark hotel room opens and a narrow beam of light hovers over the wooden floor.

Penguin is packed with shopping bags, some crammed with food, some with first aid stuff, bandages, plasters and disinfectant.

"You sure are spending a lot of money on me."

The heart pirate leaves the bags on the couch table, going through them one by one. He's gotten used to not looking directly at his patient, unless he's wearing his mask. Though he still does wonder why Killer won't let him look at his face.

"Most of the stuff is for me anyways. But I thought you might be hungry."

He had bought some sandwiches, fruit and water supplies for at least three days.

"How long are you planning on keeping me here?"

Killer sounds suspicious.

Penguin cannot blame him. He'd very much prefer searching for his crew and captain as well, but since both of them had it rough, rushing out might be a bad idea right now.

"Until you're distinctly better. And since I'm the doctor here, I'll be the one to tell you when that's happened."

Killer blinks, unseen by Penguin. That guy surely doesn't mince matters.

"Are you even a real doctor?"

"I wonder."

The Kid pirate watches Penguin walking in and out of the bathroom, putting everything away orderly and neatly and decides that he must be some sort of a neat freak. Possibly even suffering from an OCD, considering that he's been busy flattening his blankets over and over again last night.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Tired."

"Not surprised. You must be all worn out since you got slashed pretty badly. Any wounds leaking?"

"I'm not sure."

"Put on your mask."

Penguin listens to the rustling in the dark and only starts stepping towards the bed, once he hears a low grunt from his patient, muffled again by the thick mask. It's a condition they had agreed on, even though Penguin is not quite happy with it. He still worries about injuries to Killers face.

* * *

><p>"Alright! That's it!"<p>

Kid turns around, blinks and shields his eyes from the sun burning down.

"What's what?"

He watches the Doctor slowly sitting down in the grass, nearly sliding down the length of his katana. Law looks pale, sweat running down his face and he shivers visibly. His leg is killing him, the cloth wrapped around the wound probably being even dirtier than the path they're walking on. He feels dizzy and his head is spinning at a mad speed.

"I can't… walk another step."

The Captain tilts his head a little, curiously watching the suffering man at his feet.

"You really are a wimp, huh?"

"Shut your trap. I wanna see you walking in the midday heat with a wound like that."

"You were the one wanting to set off and then getting lost! Don't blame me now, Trafalgar! Eh… Trafalgar?"

For a split second, Law looks like he's about to throw up, becoming even more pale than he already is. The dark circles under his eyes look direful and he falters a little.

"Oi, Trafalgar."

Eventually he keels over, half supported by his katana, half by Kids leg, before he can hit the ground.

The redhead looks down at the other supernova, leaning against his leg and fights a feeling of mere disgust. What's with this guy always being that touchy-feely, even when he's obviously in coma?

"Splendid."

Law has passed out cold.

The Captain, obviously displeased, ignores the nag leaning against him, while he takes another good look around. No town or village in sight, not even a single house, hut or barn. Just plain fields and the border of a small forest.

'Probably the trees that were towering above the beach', Kid ponders and shoots another glance at the unconscious man by his side.

He could just leave him here and run for it. After all, Law has only been delaying him since yesterday, being annoying with his constant babbling and know-it-all attitude. There is no reason in this whole wide world, why Kid should help him out. Not a single one. Not even for the Captains own benefit, since Law has proven to be more of a nuisance than an actual help.

He looks up as he hears a quiet "meow" a couple of feet away and sees the tabby cat sitting in the high grass, close to Laws feet. It meows again and sneaks a little closer, sniffling at the reeking wound covering Laws leg.

"Oi, piss off. That guy's a creep and he probably wouldn't be very happy to find his leg gnawed off by a fucking cat once he wakes up. If he wakes up that is."

Even in his sleep the concerned and pained look on Laws face is clearly visible. Kid sighs heavily. No reason to help this guy. None at all.

"Fucking nuisance."

He shoos the cat away, poking it with Laws katana until it reluctantly disappears in the field behind them, obviously miffed.

The Doctor gives a small sound of pain, as Kid lifts him up and throws him over his shoulder easily, like a lifeless flour sack. Surprisingly enough, the guy doesn't seem to weigh anything. He doesn't even stir as the taller man carries him over to the line of trees marking the beginning of the forest and – ruggedly – drops him at the foot of a massive tree.

It's refreshingly cool in the thick shades of the trees and Kid seems quite content to leave Law to rest for a while. He still believes the raven-haired man to be a pantywaist, but the heat even bothers him, though he'd never admit it.

He takes his coat off, carefully tugs the golden spikes under the thick fur and, after a moment of hesitation, plugs the dirty red cloth under Laws head. Thank god that nobody's around to see this.

"Just so you know Trafalgar, this doesn't change a fucking thing between us."

No response, as expected.

Walking on in the midday heat is no use, that much he knows. He might as well wait here until the sun has started setting and maybe Law will wake up again until then. Or die in the meantime; Kid is not sure and not too concerned either. He's not a doctor; he has no clue about the severity of the leaking wound. Even though his half working common sense tells him that some cold water and a clean bandage would help.

He glares down at the sleeping man. They should be far enough from the path for other people to see them, so why not leave Law for a while? And even if someone did find him, maybe that person would be nice enough to get medical help for that unconscious pain in the ass. Kid surely as hell isn't.

The Captain sighs and gets up again, stretching and ignoring the throbbing headache that derives from the pulsating laceration on his forehead. Just a little walk in the shadows, getting his head around the whole situation and cooling down a little would do him good. No talking, no disturbing sounds coming from the Heart Pirate.

He's not quite sure whether or not he will return to Law though. After all this could be his chance to blow this place.

As soon as Kid has disappeared into the woods, the little grey tabby cat scurries from some bushes nearby. It seems like it's been waiting for the redhead to make a move. Now it dares coming closer again, sniffling at Laws nose and eyebrows and eventually settling down by his side, curled up into a ball of grey fuzz.


	5. Chapter 5

So it really has been months. Goodness gracious, I'm sorry guys. Honestly. Since there has been a remark that not much happened in the last chapter, I'll get some more Kid x Law action in and kind of abandon Killer and Penguin a little for now. Let me know if you want to see those two back again as well ;)

And uhm, I'll try to get into writing a little more regularly from now on but I won't only focus on ‚Catnip' only, so if you have any wishes concerning One-Shots, please let me know. Just sent me a message and wish for something and I'll see what I can do.

Anyhow, onto the next chapter! And again sorry for the long wait!

* * *

><p>Kid is dumbfounded.<p>

He's a pirate. A man of the seas. He's quite sure about it actually. Being a pirate, he had always been quite sure that a certain sense of direction was either innate or automatically given by the time a man had decided to become a pirate. And so far his sense of direction had been pretty good. Good enough at least, to dispose of his log pose every now and then, even in the New World.

Now he's standing on an abandoned country road, sure that he's been walking for the past two hours and it's slowly dawning on him, that he's either been walking in circles – unlikely though – or that this is the most fucking vast countryside he's ever seen.

"Where the fuck am I?"

It's not like him at all. Since his crew is still lacking a navigator, Kid had been the one steering them through various different seas, always without fail. And as soon as he's on dry land, he get's lost. Thrilling.

"And where is that fucking village?"

The heat is bearable without the thick coat but his stomach is starting to rumble.

In some distance he recognizes what seems to be a barn but no village anywhere. He huffs and wanders on, towards the homestead or whatever it is. Maybe he can find some food and water supplies and some shelter for the night. Without asking of course.

The farm – sure enough – is deserted, the locked door quickly kicked in and all cupboards and storage rooms searched. Someone must have left in a hurry and Kid is delighted to find all kinds of goodies and booze, just as well as a comfortable looking bed on the first floor.

The perfect place to recover from all the cuts and wounds and then move on to find his crew!

He chucks himself onto the sofa – which languishingly groans under his weight – and puts his dirty boots on the coffee table before he remembers his coat missing. And Law.

Law, whom he had abandoned in some forest, hurt and probably on the verge of death. And the nights do get cold around here.

He wrinkles his nose.

"Fuck him."

Closing his eyes, he decides to nap the thought away but all he sees in his head, is the badly bleeding and leaking wound on Laws leg.

"No no no, fuck him. Fuck him for good."

Actually, the Heart Pirate has never done anything bad to him. Besides being awfully annoying. And he's quite strong, so surely some guy to be respected. Would be a shame to let him croak that simply.

"Nope. I don't care."

Also Law was kind of right. He IS a doctor after all. Kid opens his eyes again.

"Fuck, I hate that guy."

* * *

><p>Steps echo on the neatly polished white marble floor. Slim black boots, shining and quite large but definitely expensive and elegant.<p>

Sunlight beams through ceiling high windows lining the corridor and before the owner of those exquisite boots can take another step, he is stopped by a guard. A guard trembling with fear.

"I- I must ask you t-t-to stop right here."

"Oh?"

"The admiral-"

"The admiral is expecting me."

"I- I know! I must h-however announce your arr-arrival first. O-Ordinance."

"Fine fine, announce me alright."

The guard hurries off towards a massive wooden door, decorated with golden ornaments. He knocks, then carefully opens it.

"Fleet Admiral? He's-"

"Send him in."

The door closes and the guard hurries back to find the expected guest utterly unimpressed.

"Done?"

"He's re-ready to see you now."

"Thought so."

The man hurries down the corridor without further delay, flings the door open without knocking and enters without hesitation, leaving a shocked guard behind.

"You're late."

"Only a little."

"So?"

"Everything went according to plan. I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"The bombing was a success. And a joy to watch I must say."

"How many did you get?"

"Two so far."

"Which ones?"

"Trafalgar and Eustass."

"Both ships sunk?"

"Completely destroyed."

"Good. Now get me the rest."

"You remember our deal?"

"You're not done with your part yet. I said all the rookies. I won't allow any of them to enter into the New World. Understood?"

"Perfectly."

* * *

><p>Law stirs in his sleep, slowly opening his eyes.<p>

He's not on the country road anymore. He's not even outside anymore. It's warm and dry and even though he feels a little light-headed, the little unconsciousness must have done him at least some good.

He looks around and finds himself in a small bedroom, walls and furniture made of stone and wood. Everything looks cosy and nice and a small fire burns in a fireplace across the room. The door opens but he can't see anybody entering until something hops on the bed by his feet.

Law raises his eyebrows.

The small grey tabby cat weasels across the covers, up to his face and, purring, nudges its head against Laws chin.

"Huh? Were are you coming from?"

His voice sounds raspy but he feels fine enough to lift his hand and slightly pet the purring thing.

"Jeez!"

The cat jumps, nearly falls off the bed and hurries across the covers only to rush straight under the bed. Law finds Kid standing in the doorframe.

"That fucking cat just sneaked in again. I kicked it out five times already."

The bedstead hisses at the redhead.

"Just leave it here."

"No way. Fucking fleabag."

"Can't be worse than your coat."

Right now Kid regrets what he has done.

Walking all the way back to this stupid forest, without his sense of direction leaving him again – of course not this time! – picking Law up who was still as unconscious as he had been when he first left him and actually carrying him back to this place. All the way. Shooing the cat away every now and then, that had been following them in a little distance.

"How about a little thank you or something?"

"Thank you for what?"

Kid stares at Law, dumbfounded.

"Thank you for what?!"

"Yeah."

"For dragging your sorry ass all the way to this fucking place, possibly?!"

"Oh, right. Thanks."

"God I hate you."

Kid turns on his heel, just about to leave the room when Law holds him back by trying to sit up a little but failing miserably.

"You probably shouldn't be moving, you're hurt."

"Thank you Captain Obvious. Is there some sort of a first aid kit at this place?"

"There is."

Kid points to a small suitcase-like thing that's standing beside the bed. Only then does Law notice the bowl of hot water sitting on the bedside table, as well as a small jar and a cup. He's quite surprised.

"Did you put that there?"

"No, it just happened to be just there."

"Ah, right."

Kid shifts a little, crossing his muscular arms across his naked chest.

"I'll be downstairs. If you need anything, fucking get it yourself."

With that he disappears and Law wonders whether the great Captain Kid actually feels uncomfortable after helping someone out. He smirks and tries to figure out a way to examine his wound without moving too much, when he notices something interesting.

As he pulls off the covers and glances at the wound on his leg, he notices that the stinking, dirty piece of cloth has been removed and that his leg is bandaged properly. He then notices that the piece of cloth in the washing bowl on the bedside table is a little bloody too.

Law rests his head back on his pillow and glances up at the ceiling.

Did he really do all this by himself, while the Doctor was still unconscious?

Something so unlikely for Kid to do?

The cat crawls from underneath the bed and hops back on the covers, cuddling up against Law's side. Hesitating at first, the Heart Pirate reaches out and starts stroking the grey fur, caressing the spot between the ears and underneath the chin.

"Well well well, who would've thought, right?"


	6. Chapter 6

I guess I can't apologize enough for letting you guys wait again. I don't even have a proper explanation for the late update this time, so… sorry? Everyone? I truly am? I'll try and be better now though and besides finally continuing 'Catnip', I'll try and make it up to you with some One-Shots coming in as well soon :)

Now I've read the reviews wishing for Killer & Penguin to stay in the story and even have some naughty bits so I will – of course – continue to write them as well even though the lemon will still have to wait ;)

Thank you guys for reading and reviewing even though I've been horrible with keeping this story up. Enjoy the next Chapter!

* * *

><p>Water disappears in the sink with a low gurgle and Penguin eyes himself in the mirror of the bathroom, sighing a little. Taking care of the Kid Pirate has grown to become quite a tedious business since he does not only have to buy new medication and supplies constantly but the owner of their hotel had started to grow suspicious and Penguin fears that the little hush money he's been paying so far might not be sufficient anymore. Killer is still far from being fine however and moving him to another location would prove to be more than difficult.<p>

He reaches for a towel and dries off his face, again looking at his own reflection with knitted brows. Not his day today, definitely not. Going on at this rate, it would only be a matter of time until he spots the same dark circles under his eyes as Law. Just as he is about to turn and leave, ready to finally get some well-deserved sleep, the bathroom door opens and Penguin freezes on the spot.

It's a weird moment of shock and the seconds pass slowly as both Penguin and Killer simply stare at each other in silence. Only then does Penguin notice that he is neither wearing his bonnet, nor his collar up to his nose and he quickly pulls the zipper of his jacket up, nearly getting his skin caught.

"W-What on earth are you doing?! You're not supposed to get out of bed just yet!"

"Sorry, I- I just-"

Sandy blond, quite short but ruffled hair, eyes like amber and a large, dark tribal tattoo covering the side of his neck. Killer had expected quite a lot but not this. Not a beautiful face like that one. That face surely is a face that someone would not hide normally.

"I needed a drink."

He lifts his empty glass in a nearly apologetic manner.

"Then tell me you need a drink and I'll get you one."

The awkward silence continues and Killer remains unsure whether to address the topic of Penguin's face or not. It's an odd feeling and he's not sure where it's come from but he feels the weird need to ask him to put the collar down again. Not that he would dare to, not with those eyes glaring at him like that.

It sounds like a sharp whistle when Killer suddenly hisses underneath his mask and clutches his side. A deep red is spreading slowly on the white bandages and he leans heavily on the doorknob. Two steps and Penguin is by his side, propping him up as well as he can, considering that he is still about one foot smaller and much lighter than the Kid Pirate.

"Told you it was a bad idea to get out of bed."

"Guess I'm a bit of a bother to you."

"Yes. Yes you bloody are."

He drags the injured man back to the bed and sits him down carefully, his bonnet forgotten already. The bandage comes off and while he tends to the wound, carefully and thoroughly, he doesn't notice Killer watching him silently. He expected a lot. A deformed face maybe, scars or anything ugly on those features but there is nothing there. Just plain, pale skin and an odd tattoo.

"Why are you-"

"Don't ask. And knock before you enter the bathroom next time. I could've been stark naked."

"But you were not."

Wouldn't have been a bad sight though, he ponders quietly before the pain in his side distracts him from any further musings on that matter. He clenches his teeth and no sound comes from underneath the mask until Penguin is done and his wound is bandaged again.

"Stop moving around now. Lie down again, I'll get you a glass of water and I don't want to hear anything about all- this again. Understood?"

Penguin gets up and turns around only to find his wrist in a sudden firm but yet somewhat gentle grip. Startled, he looks at the fingers clasping his wrist.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For putting up with all this."

The Heart Pirate shrugs the hand off and disappears to the bathroom without muttering another word and he leaves Killer to think whether 'all of this' was really what he had wanted to thank him for.

Maybe it rather was a 'thank you for letting me see your face' even though he would never say it out loud. After all, it hadn't been Penguin's intention to show any part of his skin really.

* * *

><p>Kid, in the meantime, waits impatiently for some beer to cool. It's been quite a hassle to get the electricity in that abandoned shithole to work again and he had been somewhat delighted to hear the faint buzzing sound of the fridge but by now, it surely feels like ages since he put the bottles in the top shelf. Thus he waits, leaning heavily on the creaking wooden table in the center of the tiny kitchen.<p>

He's heard Law's faint voice upstairs a couple of times, possibly asking for something to drink or to eat but since Kid has decided that his deed in helping the Doctor out is done, he hasn't bothered to check on him again.

It's not until something nudges his shin, that he looks up from his staring-down-tournament with the fridge.

The grey tabby cat weasels around his feet and for a moment, the Captain feels like kicking it straight into space.

"Piss off."

No chance though. The cat hops on the table beside him, purrs and begins to rub its head against his bare side and back. Kid's crimson eyes follow every move and he pulls a face, before he eventually picks the purring ball of fluff up by its neck and holds it before his face.

The cat lets out a somewhat chipper 'meow' and Kid knits his non-existent brows, since he's not used to animate things not being scared of him.

"How about we shave you and have you for dinner, huh?"

Another chipper 'meow' is the only reply and suddenly the small, pink paw pats the tip of his nose once, twice and a third time with the claws out.

Law looks up from a notably boring book he has found in one of the nightstands when the door to the bedroom suddenly bursts open and he can see that Kid is grinding his teeth in frustration, as he drops the hissing cat ruggedly on Law's belly.

"Keep your fucking cat in your room or I swear I'll make a bedside carpet out of it!"

"Now, now", the Doctor smirks. "Told you to stay away from that grumpy, ugly git, didn't I?"

"You what?!"

Law pets the cat and the furry little traitor rolls up by his side and purrs contently.

The Captain has probably never been so close to brutally murdering a kitten before but he very much feels like it right now.

"I swear that fucking nuisance is taking the piss! Now matter how many times I kick it, it keeps coming back!"

"Ever considered that it might be hungry?"

"How's that my problem?"

"Maybe it wants you to feed it."

"It's a fucking cat, it can hunt its own food."

"I wouldn't count on it. And I'm starting to feel a little hungry as well, by the way."

"Well tough shit."

Law rolls his eyes at the stubbornness that is that man before him.

"Look, my wound won't get any better if I don't gather some more strength so you might benefit from getting me a little something to eat. The quicker I heal, the quicker we can go separate ways again."

Kid hates to admit it but that logic even makes sense to him.

Another point that Kid hates to admit though is that he can't cook to save his life and he's very much reluctant to make a fool of himself by demonstrating it to that smirking demon.

He huffs and turns on his heels, leaving Law and the cat behind.

Law listens to some rummaging down in the kitchen and he quietly smiles to himself. He can already imagine Kid searching through the cupboards, trying to find something with as little effort to prepare as possible. Though he has no clue that the Captain is completely unable to cook, he has figured out that Kid is one lazy half-wit and would never do more than actually asked of him. If he _ever_ does what is asked of him.

Kid returns about ten minutes later with a steaming bowl of ramen, a small plate with ham and a – finally – cold beer bottle. He looks most displeased and snarls a little while he hands the bowl to Law.

"Will that do?"

"It should."

The Doctor watches amused as Kid picks the cat up by the neck again and drops it on the floor, putting the plate with ham down next to it. The tabby immediately gorges the food down and Kid blinks irritated. So Law was right after all. That pain in the back was starving a little.

"I don't think I should have anything alcoholic though, considering the amount of painkillers I had."

Law eyes the beer, musing quietly to himself.

"Who said it's for you?"

The bed groans audibly as Kid sits down on the side and Law can feel the mattress sink in deep enough that he's propped up a little. The Captain opens the bottle with his teeth and Law flinches at the sight.

While he waits of his dinner to cool down, he watches Kid watching the cat and entirely ignores that this is somewhat of an odd situation.

"You know, I've been doing some thinking."

"Good for you."

"You haven't, I know."

Kid growls at him.

"What do you think happens if that somebody who's sunk our ships notices that we're still alive?"

"He'll come looking for us."

Kid takes a sip from his bottle, entirely unfazed by the thought.

Once again Law wonders if the Captain could be any more full of himself but must admit that the confidence is somewhat admirable. Not that he is scared but at least the situation does give him some food for thought while it leaves the Kid Pirate entirely unmoved.

"Ever wondered who it might have been?"

"No."

"I did. And I'm not sure I like the thought of meeting face to face with that guy again. Especially not in my condition."

"You scared Trafalgar?"

Kid grins smugly and Law chucks the book at him, hitting the bare, muscular chest.

"Why should I? I got you to protect me while I'm injured, right?"

The Doctor smirks once again and Kid mumbles something incomprehensible against the neck of his beer bottle but it somewhat sounds like "go fuck yourself".


	7. Chapter 7

I'm honestly relieved that you guys haven't abandoned me for good and are still interested in this little tale. So thank you peeps, for sticking with me here! I'm honestly gonna be good now.

I will try and update twice a week. It very much depends on my schedule and lectures and homework I have to do, so please don't be disappointed if I can't make it in time every now and then. I'll try my best. One Chapter will come at the weekends at least.

Now, of course Penguin won't see Killer's face too soon. Where's the fun in that? ;) But the two of them will eventually get a little closer than they were before. Onto the story then! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and enjoy the next Chapter!

* * *

><p>He couldn't help but silently grin to himself. Whenever he turns a page of his ridiculously boring book, he peeks over the pages towards the end of the bed and his grin grows a little wider. Splayed across the end of the bed, the heavy boots firmly on the floor and one large hand on Law's right shin – the sound one, fortunately – lies Kid, fast asleep. He had kept Law company for a few hours, occasionally disappearing to get himself another bottle of beer and it had taken Law three tries to convince the Kid Pirate to finally share a bottle, despite the copious painkillers he had taken in the past hours.<p>

Though they hadn't spoken much, the mere presence of the gruff giant had been somewhat pleasant and the occasional bickering kept Law entertained. Soon the world outside the window had grown dark, they had bickered way into the night and now the room remains lit by the fire from the hearth and a small, flickering lamp on Law's bedside table.

Most amusing however – and the Heart Captain regrets not being able to take a picture – is the little tabby cat that has coiled itself into a furry grey ball and sleeps soundly on Kid's broad chest, rising and dropping with every breath of the Captain. The cat yawns and smacks in its sleep, digging the little claws into Kid's bare skin but the Captain sleeps tight enough, merely groaning quietly.

Kid would – undoubtedly – go into quite a fit should he find the cat sleeping on him and probably chuck it across the room but right now Law is not bothered too much by that. It's way too much fun to watch the pair sleeping soundly and when he nudges the Captain a little with his naked toes, Kid grunts and drops a heavy hand on Law's foot, nearly snapping his toes. Law hisses and pulls his feet underneath the covers. Stupid moron, even in his sleep.

Mumbling something incomprehensible to himself, he puts the book aside and gets comfortable, pulling the blankets a little higher. Sleeping the pain off sounds tempting and since he's been having some good night's rests again, he feels his strength slowly returning. Not long and he drifts off into a light sleep.

"_Now Law, what to do? You feel like running, don't you? You're afraid."_

Law's features tighten and grow grim.

"_Do you remember all those wondrous things that happened? Here, let me help."_

Pictures flash up in his mind. Dark and gruesome. Pictures of evil shadows haunting him, clowns in the dark, a memory of searing pain, bruises and cuts and plain, high walls with no door.

He remembers open wounds, a needle and wire in the hands of a nine year old, shaking and shivering badly as he forcibly thrusts the needle through his oversensitive skin and he tries not to cry while he patches himself up. It gets messy and it hurts and he fights hard to hold back the tears that threaten to drip on the infected wound, burning and singing it and making it worse.

"_Awww, now look at that! Well done! You will surely make a good doctor one day. Keep practising little one. Keep practising. Here! Have another cut to practise on!" _

Don't cry. Don't let him see you're crying.

"_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, eh?"_

The ceiling light flickers. Not long until he's here. That smile, that despicable smile.

"_Small dark boy in a small dark room with a small dark heart. Come here now, I'll eat up all your despair until you smile again. And no worries, if you can't smile, I will staple the corners of your lips up, hm? Right here. What a beautiful smile!"_

The smile of jester.

Law skyrockets from his sleep, his eyes wide and his heart racing in his chest.

He frantically looks around the room but everything lies quiet. The fire in the hearth has nearly burned down and cracks quietly and by the end of the bed, Kid still sleeps soundly, the purring little ball of fluff on his chest.

He claws at the blankets and quickly lets go, rubbing his hands on his shirt as if he had burned himself. It takes a while until he dares to peek at the window, half expecting the grimace to appear in the night. There's nothing there and Law exhales deeply, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

Cold creeps up his spine and he begins to shiver, feeling the pain surge through his leg again. He carefully wraps the blanket around himself, hesitates for a moment and then scoots closer to the redhead at the end of the bed.

Kid stirs when Law cuddles up to his side and when he opens his eyes, he's faced with the raven hair of the Doctor right before his nose and the weight of Law's head on his chest. It distracts him from the cat for a moment.

"What the heck are you doing?" his voice sounds a little sleepy and raspy.

"Mind your own business. Go back to sleep."

The cat stretches on Kid's chest, tapping Law's nose a little and the Doctor smiles. Kid feels like he should protest and throw Law off his chest and the cat with him but something makes him hesitate. Maybe it's the smile, maybe it's Laws shivering frame. No matter what it is really, it confuses the Captain and he thus stays still. To be honest, the cat sleeping on top of him is much worse than Law sleeping on top of him.

"Nightmare?"

"I said mind your own business. Now shush and be a good pillow."

It takes a while to fall asleep again. The smile is haunting and it gives Law a headache. He silently prays that Kid won't notice his body tensing up at the thoughts of the past but he soon realises, that the Captain's breathing is coming steady again and when he glimpses up, he sees that Kid has long fallen asleep again.

'Strange thing', Law ponders. 'How peaceful he looks when he sleeps.'

Maybe a little warmth does help after all. A little closeness from time to time. So warm, so close that it painfully reminds him that days on a ship can grow long and lonely and he has clearly lacked some human company. The right kind of company, of course. Though Kid, he reminds himself, probably was _not_ the right kind of company at all. More of a suicidal tendency shining through, really.

Law blinks irritated when Kid's muscular arm suddenly wraps itself around his waste and pulls him a little closer. 'Right. The clingy thing.' He vaguely remembers the first night they had spent together at the beach. Resting his head on the massive chest again, he listens to Kid's soothing heartbeat and, with the quiet pulsating in the back of his mind, falls into a deep, dreamless sleep again.

* * *

><p>The sun hasn't even begun to rise and Killer lies wide-awake already. In the darkness of the hotel room, he has dared to take his mask off and stares up at the ceiling, quite relieved to be able to breathe properly again. It's a hardship he's placed on himself, he knows but it's a necessity.<p>

His gaze wanders to the couch at the other side of the room and in the dim light he can barely make out Penguin's sleeping frame.

Something, possibly the memory of those amber eyes, makes it difficult for him to fall asleep again. He sits up and briefly checks the bandages around his torso. So far he hasn't dared to ask Penguin about the gravity of his injures but he does vividly remember that he had been hit straight on by one of the massive iron masts of their, now sunk, ship. Cuts, bruises and cracked ribs thus didn't surprise him and for a change, he felt quite relieved that he had made it out alive. For a little while longer at least.

He quietly picks up the mask and straps it around his face before he sets his feet on the cold, wooden floor and slowly makes his way over to the couch.

Normally he's not the curious type. Not one single bit really, but he just can't get this sight out of his mind.

Quietly and carefully, he bends over Penguin's sleeping form and reaches out to push the collar of his jacket down a little. The bonnet is still gone, the sand blond hair shimmering in the dim light of the room but his face, up to the tip of his nose, remains covered by the ridiculously high collar. Only an inch or two, no more. Just a little so that he can have one more peek at the pale skin and possibly the tattoo on his neck.

He wonders if it has any meaning to it.

Just as he's about to go another step further, to push the collar down a little more, he suddenly feels strong fingers clenching his wrist like a bench vice and before he can pull his hand free again, his legs are kicked from underneath him and he hits the floor with a loud thud.

Every single wound on his body suddenly hurts again and he growls from pain, trying to ignore the ache and sit up again. Easier said than done.

"No need to get so rough."

"I told you to forget about it."

Penguin sits wide-awake now; he doesn't look particularly angry though. It rather seems like waking up by beating someone into a pulp is quite a daily business for him, which worries Killer, to say the least, a little bit.

"You really don't mince matters, do you?"

Penguin reaches out, offering the Kid Pirate a hand to help him up but Killer doesn't move. He sits still, his face well hidden behind his mask and Penguin wonders what might go through his head right now.

"We're not even anymore."

"Huh?"

Penguin crouches down next to the Kid Pirate and softly knocks against the mask.

"You know my face now but I don't know yours."

"This is not about being even", Killer chunters and tilts his head to get it out of Penguin's reach. "Besides, that I saw your face was a mere coincidence."

"You're making this really easy for you, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because it's unfair."

"I don't do fair."

Now that surprises the Heart Pirate. He knows Kid's crew, he knows of their reputation and he had been afraid of Killer at first but though he believed the man before him to be a merciless slayer if he needed to be, he didn't make him out as unfair. Quite the opposite really.

"That's disappointing."

With that, Penguin picks up his bonnet, sitting on the low coffee table and puts it on his head, pulling the visor low over his eyes until nothing but the tip of his nose peeks out again.

Killer watches in silence.

"Is that you making it even again?" his voice sounds hollow as usual but a little disappointed.

"Yep. Simple rules to a simple game. I show you mine, you show me yours."

Killer wonders if the undertone of those rules is supposed to be as ambiguous as it sounds or if Penguin is unaware of what he just said. He watches as the Heart Pirate disappears into the bathroom and this time thoroughly locks the door behind himself.

Clothes rustle on the other side of the door and a mean little image creeps into the back of Killer's head. The image of Penguin undressing only a few feet away from him. Just the mere image of that boiler suit gliding down the pale skin. He imagines a slim frame, not scrawny but slender, toned at the right places and he wonders if that black tribal tattoo extends to other places as well.

He hears the shower going and the image changes a little, now involving a generous amount of soap and the slender body now slick and glistening and he wonders, if that pale skin is as soft as it looks. Scarred maybe? Or flawless? Does a pirate ever have flawless skin?

Killer forbids himself any further thought on that matter, before it gets too hot underneath that mask. He quickly pulls the thing off and takes a deep breath, his eyes closed. Only a minute or two, no more. By the time Penguin leaves the bathroom again, the mask will be back in place and nothing has happened.

As soon as he can't stand the mere thought of the splashing shower anymore, he gets up and moves to the other side of the room. Distraction. Distraction sounds good and he starts to boil some water and prepare coffee. Not his usual job here, but maybe, maybe he can make it up to the Heart Pirate a little, for playing unfair.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm still a little overwhelmed by all those positive responses to this story. Honestly guys, thank you all so much. It's truly flattering to see that so many of you enjoy this ficlet.

Since I've managed to finally plot out the entire story thoroughly, I will try and update as much as I can, but as I said, please don't be disappointed if an anticipated update does not come as quickly. I'll try and keep up though ;)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, faved and followed and please enjoy the next Chapter!

* * *

><p>A faint beeping echoes through the great halls, ear piercing and highly annoying.<p>

"Yes?"

_'They're alive.'_

"Eh? Alive?"

A grin tucks at the corners of his lips while he looks down at the receiver of the Den-Den-Mushi in his hand.

'_You've failed. There is a reason why I asked you to take out those two first.'_

"Yeah, yeah. No big deal, I'll find them. Didn't think I'd have to put Law on my agenda again though."

'_You better do. Don't underestimate Kid.'_

"Pff."

'_I mean it. We don't know the full extend of his powers yet, you better be careful.'_

"We'll see."

The receiver clicks silently and he leans back in the soft cushions. Alive, eh. The grin grows broader. He might have known.

* * *

><p>Law's hands remain steady though he pulls a face every now and then. He sits on the worn out couch down in the living room of their makeshift new homestead and solely by the looks of that thing, one can tell that Kid's bone-crushing weight had not been good for the frame and the padding.<p>

The wound on his leg is neatly cleaned and disinfected and now ready to be stitched up for good. He had Kid find him a sewing kit, disinfected the needle over a flame for a while before drenching it in pure alcohol and now he sits, seemingly delighted to finally be able to patch himself together.

A few feet away, Kid sits on the kitchen counter, watching curiously. He occasionally takes a sip from a large mug filled to the brim with whisky and a little splash of coffee – his idea of an Irish Coffee probably, Law hadn't dared to ask – and his bare feet are dangling low above the ground, obviously constituting a perfect target for the tabby cat. The small animal sneaks up on the naked toes again and again, attacks and buries its small, pointy teeth in Kid's big toe and begins to hiss and puff itself up when the Captain kicks it across the room in return. He doesn't kick too hard however, Law had noticed with a small grin. Never hard enough to actually hurt the cat.

"You sure that's making it better?"

Law looks up when he hears another shrill 'meow!' coming from the kitchen and then follows with his eyes, as the kitten flies across the room one more time, before directly charging at Kid's feet once again.

"I can hardly make it worse. Unless I'd saw my leg off."

It's somewhat mesmerizing, Kid finds, as he watches the clean, skilled suture running down Law's shin. He hates admitting to Law's skill, refusing to acknowledge anyone being just nearly on par with him in anything, but he can't deny Law's talent as a Doctor. It looks painful. And he's not sure if he could stitch himself up like that, but of course he doesn't say that out loud. Instead, he gives the cat another kick and ignores his already bleeding and scratched toes.

"How's your concussion doing?" Law begins a weird form of small talk while once again operating on his own leg.

"I never had a concussion."

"Oh right, you were genuinely retarded. My apologies."

Kid kicks the cat straight into Law's direction but misses. And Law knows that he misses on purpose because he doesn't want to mess up his work. He has no idea why though.

A few stitches more and the large cut in his leg is patched up. It looks horrible but Law seems confident that it won't leave any scars. Of course it won't. He's a most talented doctor after all and content with his work.

"Come over here."

"Why?"

"Can you just come over?"

Kid hesitates for a second before he hops off the counter, nearly stepping on the kitten that hisses at him and scurries underneath the table before Kid can kick it again. He approaches the Doctor a little warily and Law chuckles at the thought of the massive Captain actually being a little afraid of him. Well, not really, but Kid's way of being afraid, meaning cocky but careful.

"Press down here for a second", Law points at the end of the suture where both black string ends stick out, looking fairly disgusting.

"What, properly press down?"

"Yes, properly press down. They can't lose the tension. Understood?"

Kid sits down on the ground before Law and, for some odd reason, the Doctor relaxes immediately. Kid towering over him does have something threatening, simply because the guy is massive and standing straight alone makes him look intimidating.

The redhead presses his index and middle finger on the stitch and he can tell that Law clenches his teeth but he doesn't protest. The Heart Captain is skilled and quick at applying bandages and he does so with ease. Kid watches the slender, skilled fingers. He eyes the dark tattoos on the tanned skin and tilts his head a little.

"Fascinating?"

"Huh?"

He snaps back and looks up straight into Law's face.

"You can let go now."

Kid does and Law quickly finishes the bandages. He seems content, eyeing the well-treated wound for a moment before he nicks Kid's mug and takes a good gulp. The pure taste of Whisky burns his throat and he coughs and pulls a face before handing the mug back to Kid.

"You're crude. It's not even noon."

"You just can't hold your liquor."

He flinches a little when he suddenly feels Law's warm fingers on his face and he squints up with crimson eyes, as Law begins to examine the cut above his brow.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking at how messed up you still are. You didn't disinfect any cut, did you?"

"No."

"I remember telling you to."

"Yeah, I remember forgetting about that."

Law doesn't even bother with a reply. He drenches a cotton pad with alcohol and simply presses it on Kid's forehead, causing the Captain to hiss and snarl at him. Unimpressed, Law continues his treatment, cleans out the cut and ponders over sewing it up as well before deciding against it. Kid somehow seems to heal well, much better than Law does.

A little disgruntled, Kid endures the treatment, venting his anger out at the cat a little by flipping his fingers against the tiny pink nose poking out from underneath the couch, sniffing curiously at the mug in his lap.

"I called it Catnip, by the way."

"You gave it a name?"

"Sure. Everything needs a name."

"Hm."

"Even you got one and you're much worse than a kitten."

"Not really", Kid scratches his index over the woollen fabric of the carpet, causing the cat to playfully attack. "People in my village just called me Kid when I grew up, 'cos I didn't have a proper name. Started listening to that after a while. More or less."

His fingers keep on working on the cut but his grey eyes carefully watch Kid's features. The redhead doesn't seem fazed by the fact that nobody ever bothered to give him a real name. He generally doesn't seem fazed by anything and for the first time, Law wonders what made him turn so cold. A lack of a name maybe.

"There you go. The cuts on the chest look fine."

Kid meets his gaze and for the first time since they began to travel together, Law smiles at him. It's not the usual sneer, not the smirk. It's a genuine smile, friendly and somehow extremely unnerving. It confuses Kid and he doesn't dare to follow him, as Law gets up and hobbles across the room to get himself a mug of Whisky as well. Possibly because his legs feel like jelly right now.

* * *

><p>Killer silently whistles through the holes in his mask again. He's looking up at the ceiling, flat on his back on the bed and he tries hard, not to follow the trail that Penguin's fingers leave on his body while he examines the numerous wounds once again. For the first few days, the whistling had been somewhat intriguing but by now Penguin finds it merely annoying. He would never inform Killer about that though, trying his best not to be rude after bringing him down easily once before.<p>

"So?"

"Hm?"

"Everything alright?"

"You're getting there."

Penguin sits up on the bed again, eyeing the many cuts and bruises quite content. Some would leave scars, he's sure of that but it could be much worse. The massive amount of old scars all scattered over Killer's body scares him a little though.

He's well aware that Kid's crew is made up of brutes and reckless men, always quick to jump into a fight and he has witnessed Killer's loyalty towards his Captain and a tendency to take blows that were aimed at Kid. But a few years on the seas would surely not mess him up like that. Not considering how skilled Killer was at fighting and dodging attacks.

Killer flinches a little, when he feels Penguin's fingers running down a particularly thick scar beside his chest. It's old and looks pretty disgusting and somewhat ashamed, the Kid Pirate attempts to pull the covers over his body but Penguin wouldn't let him.

"Broken rib?"

"Yeah."

"Must have been a pretty severe beating. Ribs don't usually tear through skin so easily."

Killer remains quiet and Penguin realises that he has tried to dig too deep.

"I'm sorry."

He begins cleaning up the emergency kit, chucks cotton pads and used bandages into the bin and only pauses when he feels the somewhat pleasant weight of Killer's hand on his. His fingers are scarred as well, Penguin notices only now.

"Can you just… the clatter hurts my head."

"Could be because of your retarded mask, you know."

"You're still pissed at me, aren't you?"

"I am indeed."

Penguin blinks surprised when he hears a dark chuckle coming from underneath the mask. He had never heard Killer laugh before and it doesn't fit the masked man at all. All those scars and muscles and the brutal aura he has, but this laughter sounds cheerful and innocent and it lulls Penguin's mind somehow.

It takes a minute. Maybe two. And the Heart Pirate joins in, laughing softly.

Neither of them has ever felt so odd before. Far away from any place they would ever call home, separated from their crews and at the hands of the rival, beaten and unsure as to what the future might hold. And yet here they are, sitting next to each other on the bed of a shabby hotel room, laughing way too carefree for anyone in their situation.

That night, Killer feels the mattress next to him shift and he holds his breath while Penguin quietly slips underneath the blankets. He's lost the bonnet and the boiler suit, wearing only light pants and a muscle shirt that seems somewhat way too big for him.

Without Penguin knowing, he quietly watches him in the darkness of the bedroom and Penguin would never see the look of surprise on Killer's face, when the Kid Pirates finds the black tribal tattoo extending way down Penguin's neck. It reaches down his shoulder, across his collarbone and even down his back, disappearing underneath the fabric of his shirt.

Killer has seldom been this curious before but he doesn't dare lift the fabric to take another peek. He exhales deeply and turns, pretending to be fast asleep while he lazily wraps an arm around Penguin's waist and pulls him a little closer. A reflex, no more, no less. And Penguin quietly grins against the pillow before he closes his eyes. Way better than sleeping on the couch, that's for sure.


	9. Chapter 9

Right, the Captains insist on being a little shy around each other still, but oh well, we have Killer and Penguin getting more erm… friendly. I'm not sure whether I should pick up some speed with the plot or if the pace is alright this way. What do you think?

Once again, thanks everyone for the reviews and faves and everything! Enjoy the Chapter!

* * *

><p>The skin beneath his fingertips is smooth and soft. He's never felt such soft skin on a man before. Admitted though, he's not been with many men in his life generally.<p>

His fingers leave a trace across the collarbones, the chest, gently pinching a nipple on the way down, eliciting a soft moan from the man before him. He draws a pattern on the flat stomach and slides his fingers over the hipbones peaking out a little. Such a slender body. Truly a figure to adore, slim and nearly unscarred. Pale except for the parts that look tainted with black ink.

The tattoo curls down his body and way lower than Killer had anticipated. The tribal trail runs across his entire chest, beautifully engraved and almost feminine, across his ribcage and from here spreads across his lower back and his hips. One trail ends only a few inches above his crotch, the other reaches way down his thighs and ends in the hollow of his knee. It looks aesthetic, Killer thinks. There's nothing bold about it, nothing butch or masculine. It seems like an ivy twine running down his body and embracing it gently.

He can't help but stare mesmerized, devouring the sight before him.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Killer had found himself unable to resist anymore. It had started with some light touches, barely perceivable but as Penguin had not protested, he had begun to explore the soft skin a little more brazenly.

Pulling the shirt up initially causes Penguin to flinch and a first reflex orders him to pull the fabric down again but there's a strong, scarred hand in the way.

"Please?"

"It looks hideous."

"I think it's beautiful."

The fingers stroke and tease and caress and slowly, very slowly, Penguin gives in to the touch and quits his protests. It leaves Killer wondering why he would not want to be looked at. Such a flawless body could surely be displayed yet the Heart Pirate blushes badly and tries to pull the covers up every now and then.

There's one touch he misses though. He knows for sure that Killer is not wearing the mask. His voice is clear and somewhat gentle, yet Penguin longs for a kiss. With his back pressed against Killer's chest, he still can't see the Kid Pirate's face and every time he tries to turn around, the grip on his hips grows a little firmer, keeping him in place. No kiss. Not a single one.

"Can I see your face?"

"Maybe, someday", his voice sounds like he's smiling. "Let me just adore you for now, alright?"

The scarred fingers disappear beneath the rim of his lose pants and Penguin gasps. They feel rough and calloused but still gentle and experienced, the movements confident and steady. He had half expected the members of Kid's crew to be violent and gruff but right now, Killer is nothing like that.

"Put it on."

"What?"

The fingers in his pants halt.

"Put the mask on then."

Penguin hears the blankets rustle and the creaking of the leather strings that keep the mask in place at Killer's neck.

"Done?"

"Hm."

It's odd at first. Not being able to see a face. No emotions, the insecurity if a touch is appreciated or not. But Killer works his way around Penguin's worries. He guides his hands, mumbles gentle orders and Penguin follows, chuckling quietly to himself. It sure is weird. But he's seldom been touched to lovingly. His hands run down the many scars, sometimes making Killer flinch but a hushed kiss to the spot and the Kid Pirate relaxes again. The few rays of early morning light that shine through the curtains draw patterns on Penguin's pale skin, mixing with the black tattoo and Killer is quite sure that he has never seen anything as beautiful in his life.

Sitting upright, his back leaning against the headboard of the bed and Penguin in his lap, he admires the sight.

"Anything to lube up with?"

Killer looks around and he's quite glad that Penguin can't see the smirk playing behind the mask, when he picks up a tube from the nightstand.

"That'll do."

Supporting himself on Killer's shoulders, Penguin kneels above his lap, waiting and anticipating but when one slick finger enters him, he nearly cries out, shuddering and shivering badly.

"What the heck?!"

"Cooling gel", Killer innocently holds the tube up. "All we got."

Penguin huffs but a gentle stroke of his member and a heat wave gushes through his groin again. Heat and cold take turns and the Heart Pirate soon feels his head spinning. He digs his nails into Killer's shoulders until he leaves marks and sighs and gasps, spreading his legs a little wider as two more fingers enter him, scissor and thrust and nearly drive him over the edge already. When Killer pulls out though, an almost unhealthy smirk spreads on Penguin's lips.

"What are you-", Killer's voice sounds hollow behind the mask but the small echo can't hide the surprised tone. Though Penguin can only imagine the sudden horror in Killer's eyes, he grins quietly to himself while he reaches out for the tube.

"All we got. Remember?"

Killer hisses when the cold gel hits his heated member. It tickles and pricks at the sensitive skin like thousands of cool needles but the sensation is somewhat overwhelming. When the cold is suddenly engulfed by maddening heat, a hollow moan escapes the Kid Pirate. Penguin's movements are slow at first and he takes his time to adjust to the unfamiliar feeling. Killer is close to calling him a tease but he resists the urge to push him down right into his lap. It feels like minutes pass but once the Heart Pirate has found his rhythm, all understanding of time is swept from Killer's mind.

He only sees this gorgeous body move so elegantly, feline even, sees himself disappear in Penguin's slender figure and he holds the slim hips in a gentle grip, drawing the pattern of the black tattoo just above Penguin's crotch with his thumb before he clasps the Heart Pirate's length and begins to pump to the rhythm. Penguin's fingers dig into Killer's shoulders, he arches his back, displaying even more of the delicate tattoo and though the pace is somewhat slow, he soon feels heat building up in his body. Not much longer.

A loud moan echoes through the hotel room when Killer suddenly sits up, burying himself even deeper in the other body and he meets Penguin's rhythm, his arms wrapped safely around the slender frame. One more thrust, maybe two or three and it is Penguin who comes first, clenching up and while his fingernails leave deep scratches in Killer's shoulder blades, the pain pushes the Kid Pirate over the edge as well.

The black tattoos glisten in the dim light of the room and Penguin remains still for a while, his arms wrapped around the other man's neck. He hadn't anticipated that when he picked him up a few days ago. It's not like him to let someone so close either. But there is something about this man, Penguin finds. Something he can't yet place his finger on but it feels good. _He_ makes him feel good. He carefully clasps the sides of the mask with his hands and for a moment, Killer fears that Penguin will pull it off but none the like happens. Instead, the Heart Pirates places a soft, almost chaste kiss on the mask, right on spot where he believes Killer's lips to be.

* * *

><p>As the morning passes, dark clouds build up in the sky, swiftly coming in from the sea. Law sits by the window, watching the rain pouring down and hitting the glass with a thundering clatter. He loves stormy weather. It's in those moments, that the entire world goes quiet and every noise is drowned in the roaring of the storm. He has his legs pulled up to his body; one bandaged thoroughly, his naked toes curling on the ledge and he closes his eyes, listening to the rain and thunder outside.<p>

When he opens his eyes again, a mug is held before his face and he is somewhat surprised.

"Very lavish of you to make me a cup too."

"Take it or fucking leave it but shut up."

Smirking, Law accepts the cup and sips on the steaming tea. Of course it's spiced up with something alcoholic again but he doesn't dare to ask. Kid settles down on the couch in front of the window and Law wonders why the Captain deliberately stays close to him.

"Odd, isn't it?"

Kid eyes Law carefully, the mug firmly clasped in both hands. The only odd thing he finds right now is the peaceful expression on Law's face while he watches the storm outside.

"What is?"

"The weather at sea. One minute it's calm as fuck and then suddenly a storm crashes down. One second to the next and the world seems to collapse."

"What do you know about storms? You're underwater all the bloody time."

"I know you."

Kid blinks, obviously irritated. That retarded Doctor is doing his head in. Granted, Kid has never been good with all that social stuff, being rather egocentric and rough but nobody has ever managed to confuse him as much as Law. And the most annoying part is that Law confuses him with such ease. Only one word, one look is enough and Kid doesn't know whether he's coming or going anymore. It frustrates him, makes him mad and it gets worse when he suddenly hits this invisible barrier in his head, telling him that he doesn't really want to hurt Law. That he wants to be good around him, that he somehow wants Law to… well, like him.

He chunters something incomprehensible against the brim of his mug and Law chuckles quietly when he notices that the Captain refuses to look him in the eyes.

"You know jack-shit about me", Kid mutters after a while, still staring out the window.

"Oh because you're the mysterious bad big guy, huh?"

Kid is unsure whether to be offended or not when he sees the smirk playing on Law's lips.

"Alright, who am I then when you know me so well?"

"You're Eustass Kid. That's all. You've had shit happening to you in the past but you've overcome that. You've stopped to care. You've learned to live with whatever happened to you and initially, that's what makes you dangerous."

Now Kid is surprised, clearly.

"There's nothing you fear. No past memory that can drag you down, nothing to blackmail you with, nothing that can just pull you down and cage you into insecurity. It's enviable really. To live entirely without fear."

All the time, Law is looking out the window, a smile playing on his lips and Kid wonders when he let his guard down enough to allow the Doctor to analyse him like that. For a moment he feels like asking Law what it is that he fears but he knows that he won't get an answer. It's none of his business after all.

A flash of lightning illuminates the living room, drawing disfigured shadows on the walls and both sip on their tea in silence, deep in thoughts. It's not until something scratches at the wooden front door that they look up. Kid eventually gets up from his spot and opens the door without a minute of hesitation, proving once again to Law that there really is nothing he feels like he should fear.

Something small scurries in, grey and wet to the bones and meowing miserably.

"Catnip!"

Law chuckles when the small tabby cat hops on the ledge, complaining and crying. Something jingles with every move the cat makes and Law furrows his brows.

"Now what's this?"

Hidden beneath the wet fur is a blue collar with a small copper bell attached.

"Kid, get a towel."

"Eh?"

"Get a towel. Why do I have to repeat myself with you half-wit all the time?"

The towel is roughly chucked at Law's face and the Heart Captain rolls his eyes.

"Charming."

"Any fucking time."

He towels the protesting ball of fluff until the fur stands up in all directions and when the cat suddenly hisses and spits, he finds Kid sneering at the puffed up kitten.

"Seriously?"

"What? It looks fucking retarded like that."

Law carefully taps on the bell hanging from the collar.

"Wonder where you got that from."


	10. Chapter 10

Wow, I just received some overwhelming feedback on the last Chapter and some really wonderful prompt ideas as well, that I might use in the future. I'm glad that the pace is alright, now I guess it's time to work on the plot a little more.

By the way guys, if you have any requests for a One Shot or you have a plot bunny you've always wanted to see in writing, don't hesitate to send me a message, either here or on tumblr. Link is in my profile description. I'm happy to fulfil – most – requests if I find the time in between writing Catnip. Don't be shy ;)

Now, thanks again for all your wonderful reviews! Enjoy the new Chapter!

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><p>It jingles in his head. Loud and deafening. A sound that sends shivers down his spine and makes the hair on his neck stand up.<p>

_Law. Come on now Law. Time to practise. _

It won't stop jingling.

_The more you practise, the better you will become, eh? _

It sounds like a call to arms. A siren. An omen that something bad will happen.

_Come here. Look at that. Pretty eh? Ripped her up real good, now go on. Practise. _

The jingle comes closer; he can feel it in every fibre of his body. It shatters his nerves and hurts his head.

_You're gonna be the best doctor one day. Practise. Go on._

Law wakes with a start, panting heavily. There's nobody there. Only the quietness of the bedroom and the sizzling fire in the hearth. The storm is still howling outside, somewhat soothing, calming his nerves a little. Yet he's unable to move, staring bewildered at the tabby cat sitting next to his pillow. Catnip is grooming and with every move, the bell on the blue collar jingles. It does his head in, nearly drives him mad. Still somehow he doesn't dare to remove the collar. He doesn't even want to touch it.

Kid looks up when he hears the wooden stairs creak and blinks a little irritated, when he finds Law's slim frame by the door, the cat clutched safely in his arms.

"Huh? Scared of a lousy storm?"

The Captain sneers and Law doesn't even bother with a reply. He drops the cat on Kid's belly instead.

"Keep it down here. I can't sleep with the jingling."

"Just take the collar off then."

The claw-like fingers tug at the collar already, when Law's hand dashes forward and firmly grasp the much bigger hand of the Captain.

"Don't!"

It feels like an electric surge running through both their fingers but Law doesn't care; his grip only grows tighter. His gaze lingers on Kid, leaving the Captain in utter confusion.

"Why not? Just take it off if it irritates you so much."

"It doesn't irritate me, it just- I can't sleep like that. Just keep it here."

"But I don't want that fucking cat sleeping down here. It's yours after all."

A minute passes, maybe two, before Law slumps down on the couch next to Kid, sighing deeply.

"Stop being such a pain in the neck."

"That's fucking rich coming from you."

Catnip smugly sinks her claws deep in Kid's naked chest before hopping off and joining Law, causing the Doctor to pull a face at the jingle. It hurts his ears even when he's awake. Kid rubs his maltreated chest, glaring at the kitten and ponders for a while whether to chuck the cat and Law together out into the storm to finally have a quiet night and maybe get a good rest for a change. Something stops him though. Something in Law's empty stare while he eyes the blue collar and the bell.

"You alright?" he asks before thinking about it and only a second later, he feels like slapping himself across the face. What the heck?!

"What do you care?"

"I don't, I just-", that's new. Usually he's not prone to making a fool of himself. "Fuck it."

The wooden deals creak with every heavy step Kid makes as he gets up and grabs one of the last remaining bottles of Whisky and two glasses. He's unsure who needs it more but both of them could probably do with a drink.

"My leg's better already. I'll set off tomorrow to look for my crew."

Law's voice is all calm and gentle, yet Kid stops dead in his tracks, the glass he was about to hand to Law halting in mid air. Tomorrow. That's sudden. Somewhat to be expected really.

"Fine with me. I'll be on my way as well then."

"Good luck."

"Yeah. You too."

They clink glasses and though neither of them can put a finger on it, it simply feels weird. Disgustingly weird. While Kid downs the glass with one massive gulp, Law merely takes a sip, absent-minded stroking the cat in his lap. It's unusual for him, not to know what's going on in his own fucked up head.

"So what is it with you and bells then?"

"Huh?"

The bell jingles once more and Law is pretty much tempted to kick the cat out into the storm himself now.

"Figured you don't like that thing but still you wouldn't let me take it off. Why?"

"I didn't know you had a curious side to you."

"Guess there still is a lot you don't know about me."

Law smiles benignly, slowly spinning the glass in his hands.

"Touché."

"So?"

"It just… reminds me of someone."

The cap and bells of a jester.

"I don't like the sound."

"Take it off then."

"It's not that simple."

Kid sighs heavily, letting his head drop back on the backrest. The Doctor can't help but smile a little. He had firmly believed that Kid was a special form of retarded for a while. Dim-witted, not really eloquent, certainly a guy that has never seen a school from the inside. In the past days however Kid has very much managed to surprise Law. Though rude and obnoxious as usual, Law has found him rather pragmatic but there's not much stupidity. Quite the opposite really.

"How about taking the jingle away then but leave the bell on?"

Law raises his eyebrows.

"You mean break the bell?"

"In a way."

Without a minute of hesitation, Kid plugs Catnip from Law's lap, ignoring the hissing and spitting. He taps at the bell and the small, copper ball comes off with ease, not leaving a scratch on the cat. Spinning mid air, the bell cracks open in the middle. Law simply stares, horror written all over his features.

"Dimwit?"

"Hm?"

"That's not a hammer."

Dangling in the centre of the bell is a small copper plate, a bright red light flashing at a frightening pace.

"A bug." A broad grin appears on Kid's lips. "Guess someone's found out that we're still alive and monitors us."

He picks up the small copper bell with two fingers and crushes it like a mere insect.

"Government methods", Law ponders. "Someone wants to know where we're going from here. Someone who knows that we had the cat with us."

"Told you to get rid of that fleabag."

Before Law can retort anything, the wooden front door explodes with a bang, sending splinters flying in all directions and a cloud of smoke gushes through the cottage, leaving both pirates coughing violently. Something clatters and then a constant beeping sound echoes through the room, another red light flashing somewhere in the thick dust. Law stares bewildered, his eyes teary from the dense fog.

"Kid? Kid, get out of here! Now!"

* * *

><p>The tincture smells and pretty much looks like blood red slime, yet Penguin ignores Killer's complaints, busy dapping it all over the small cuts and bruises that remain on his chest and arms.<p>

"It stinks. Honestly."

"It would be worse if you took your mask off. Stop grumbling."

Killer sighs, triggering a low whistle from the holes in the mask. Penguin glares up at him and Killer blinks underneath the mask, unnoticed by the Heart Pirate.

"What?"

Penguin casually picks two cotton pads to pieces and before Killer can even attempt to protest, he has straddled the stronger and taller Kid Pirate and stuffs the holes with the cotton shreds.

"Oi!"

"Either that or you take off the mask. That whistling is doing my head in."

The Heart Pirate crosses his arms before his tattooed chest, comfortably sitting on Killer's lap and glares down at him. A deep, yet bemused chuckle resounds from underneath the mask, a little darker than usual since most holes are thoroughly stuffed.

"Guess you gotta live with it."

Penguin huffs.

"Now, on a scale of one to ten, how retarded to I look right now?"

"Fifty. At least."

Killer almost lovingly wraps his arms around the slim waist, pulling Penguin a little closer.

"Take them out."

Gingerly, Penguin begins to pluck the shreds from the holes again when suddenly both of them flinch badly as a massive explosion illuminates the night sky, drowning the thunder out entirely, followed by a tremor that causes the windows to crack and the pictures fall off the walls. Penguin nearly drops off Killer's lap, hadn't it been for the strong arms pulling him even closer protectively.

Once the tremble has ceased, Penguin carefully gets up from Killer's lap and looks out the window.

A few miles outside the city, black smoke rises up into the sky, piling higher and higher with each passing minute.

"What on earth was that?"

Killer steps up behind the Heart Pirate, glancing out the shattered windows.

"Something detonated."

"Thank you Captain Obvious. Do you think you can travel again?"

"You tell me, you're the doctor."

Penguin ponders for a while, before he pushes the curtains closed. No need to catch a cold or let the rain in.

"We should go."

"Right now?"

A flash of lighting lightens up the small hotel room.

"Right now. I have a bad feeling about this."

While Penguin disappears into the bathroom, getting dressed and ready again, Killer carefully pushes the curtains aside a little and glances into the darkness again. It feels like something clutches his heart in an ice-cold grip and a shiver runs down his spine. It's not the first time since their separation that Kid crosses his mind. He's been wondering about the whereabouts of his Captain for a while but right now, a big lump in his throat urges him to find him. Something has gone wrong. Terribly wrong, most likely.


	11. Chapter 11

And ages again. Right guys, I won't be making any more promises as to the regularity of updates. I have weeks where real life just eats me up and spits me out, weeks where I'm more into other fandoms, weeks where I just don't feel like writing and weeks when my brain feels like jelly. I'm sorry that this means awful delays in updates.

All I will promise is that I won't abandon this story. Catnip will be finished some day, even if it takes years to get there. And here's a new chapter to resolve that awful cliff-hanger. Thank you guys for your wonderful support even though I'm too slow to even function. Enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p>Pillars of smoke rise up into the night sky, the ground is scattered with debris of the former cottage and the heavy rain has slowly started to turn the ground into one massive, muddy pit.<p>

Killer carefully approaches the ruin, glancing left and right, his scythes drawn, just in case. This explosion surely wasn't caused by a gas leak or any other accident. Penguin, walking safely by his side, seems just as alerted. Whoever had caused the explosion might still be close by and with Killer wounded, the Heart Pirate doesn't exactly feel like running into that person. Whoever it is.

Penguin suddenly stops, squinting his eyes underneath the bonnet.

"Over there!"

Something glows faintly blue a few yards ahead, right amidst the ruins. Killer stands confused for a moment but Penguin suddenly breaks into a run, a broad smile hidden well underneath his collar. He knows that blue glow. He'd recognise it from anywhere in the world.

"Oi!"

It hurts and Killer grits his teeth as he rushes after the Heart Pirate. It's odd really. For the first time in his life, he's not sure if he doesn't want to _be_ alone or rather not _leave _someone else alone. A bit of both probably. A few feet before the glowing dome, they are already met by a familiar voice and Penguin feels his heart racing in his chest. Finally.

"My, my. That was close."

Law dusts off his clothes, watching as the walls of his room slowly shrink around him again. By his feet, shivering and puffed up, cowers Catnip, entirely unhappy with the situation. The dome had protected them just fine, not a scratch on either of them and Law seems somewhat content. He looks up when he hears footsteps approach, ready to draw his Katana but his face lightens up when he recognises the familiar bonnet and jumpsuit.

"Lo and behold, look who we have here! Thought you guys have abandoned me for good."

"Could say the same about you, captain."

Though he can't see it, Killer can hear the smile beneath Penguin's collar. He eyes Law warily for a moment, not sure what to say. He has befriended Penguin but Law is a different matter. Law is a freak. A dangerous one at that, entirely unpredictable.

"Made a new acquaintance?" Law smirks at Penguin.

"Something like that."

"My captain-", Killer mutters beneath his mask. "Is he with you?"

"Huh? Oh you mean that uncivil red-haired git? He was around a minute ago."

Something clatters a few feet away and all three of them crane their necks. Hidden well by the black, charred roof and ruined walls, they suddenly spot a remarkably big heap of metal, messily arranged but thick and completely impenetrable. They find remains of the fridge, the oven and even parts of the doors, the roof and the nails that had held the deals in place.

"That's useful", Law muses and Killer grins underneath his mask.

The door of the former fridge suddenly comes flying straight towards them and Law ducks just in time, before the massive metal could hit him in the face.

"Oi oi! Easy!"

"EASY MY ASS, TRAFALGAR!"

"Oh dear", Killer sighs. "Here we go."

To say that Kid is fuming would probably be some sort of understatement. A deep cut decorates his cheek and his upper body is covered in bruises, slowly turning blue and purple since gathering a whole heap of metal takes an inconvenient amount of time, unlike Law's room. The Captain is fine enough to randomly chuck metal at the Doctor though.

"IT WOULD HAVE FUCKING KILLED YOU TO EXTENT YOUR ROOM A LITTLE, WOULDN'T IT!"

"I'm sorry, alright?" Law ducks again and a massive piece of metal crashes into the remainders of a wall behind him, shattering the bricks entirely. "I completely forgot you were there."

"I WAS STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, YOU FUCKTARD!"

"Kid, be nice." Another piece of metal buzzes through the air and hits Killer's mask with a dull thud. "Ouch."

"I've had it with you and your fucking 'be nice, be nice' all the fucking time!" Something that might once have been a hinge bounces off one of Killer's scythes, leaving the first mate of the Kid Pirates entirely unimpressed. "Neither of you dipshits deserves 'nice' right now! And speaking of dipshit, where the fuck have _you_ been all the time, eh?!"

"I was busy."

"With what, knitting fucking cardigans for the whole crew?!"

"No, not dying."

"Ah", a sudden, very awkward silence spreads amongst the unlikely companions and Kid clears his throat, pretending to dust off his pants. "Well lucky you didn't, 'cos I would have dragged you from the grave to kill you again."

Law squints, eyeing Kid at first, then Killer and he silently wonders if this is Kid's way of more or less saying 'I was worried about you'. It would certainly suit the blockhead.

"We done here then? I'd recommend we go somewhere else."

The sole reply is a low meow and all eyes are suddenly on the still very distressed looking cat that seems entirely unhappy about being soaking wet.

"You kiddin' me."

Kid's voice sounds way too dry for Law's liking.

"What?"

"You saved the fucking cat with your room but you forgot about me."

"She's innocent and helpless. You can take care of yourself."

"Keep that in mind next time you faint in the fucking forest. I won't be dragging your sorry ass anywhere anymore."

With that, Kid stomps off down the path that leads to the little village further downhill. Law takes his time, gently picks up the cat and wraps her into his sweater before he follows with a few feet between him and the Captain. Penguin and Killer stay behind for a while, pretty much confused and at a loss for words.

"Do you know what just happened?"

"Wish I did."

The owner of the small Inn that Penguin and Killer had occupied the previous days nearly suffers from cardiac arrest when Kid barges through the door, bleeding, soaking wet and quite grumpy, to say the least. Penguin invests his last coins in some more hush money and Killer spends some belly on booze after politely turning down Kid's offer to simply kill the poor man and get some drinks for free. Law, seemingly content with the situation, tightly holds on to Catnip, occasionally stroking the wet fur and whispering soothing words to the miserably meowing kitten.

"Why did you keep that pestilence anyways? That furry little shit betrayed us."

Kid slumps down on the double bed, making the frame creak and the mattress sinks down to the duckboard.

"More important question", Killer cuts inn, preparing a drink for each of them and prepping his own glass with a straw. "What was all that about?"

"Thank you", Law breathes, relieved to finally have a more or less reasonable person around. "It seems like the Government has us noted on a bucket list."

"The Government is behind this?"

"Most likely. I guess someone is worried about us entering the New World."

"Little late to worry about that now though."

Kid eyes the broken window for a second before downing his drink once more, slowly pissing the Doctor off a little with his irresponsible drinking.

"The one planning and carrying out the attacks is not a marine though."

"What makes you think that?" Law blinks, surprised that – for once – the Captains seems to have done a little thinking himself.

"It's too snaky. The marines would waltz in with about a hundred men and declare us captured. Or try and kill us. Whoever attacked us works for the Government but they are not part of the Government."

"Hm. Not so dumb after all."

Kid feels like smacking Law around the head.

"What are you gonna do then?" Killer's voice sounds hollow as usual, his whistling breath occasionally cut off by the slurping of the straw. That sound probably drives Penguin even further round the bend than the whistling.

"Find the rest of the crew and rebuild that fucking ship first of all."

The Captain flinches a little when Law slumps down next to him and casually leans against his broad shoulder while taking a sip from his drink. This touchy-feely attitude still highly confuses him.

"So you plan on leaving this place in about three months?"

"Why would I?"

"Rebuild a ship?"

Kid doesn't bother with a reply. Instead, he peeks at Killer and grins, eliciting a low chuckle from his first mate. It almost seems as if rebuilding an entire ship is a daily business for the Kid Pirates.

Law and Penguin share a confused glance and for some reason neither of them feel like asking any further questions. "Maybe we should try and find the rest of the crew as well", Penguin mutters after a minute of silence.

It would be tedious. The New World is a vast place, chances are that their crew is largely scattered, some maybe arrested by the Marines, some possibly not alive anymore. It's a prospect that Law doesn't like. It bothers him, makes him feel jittery and he silently prays that the moronic redhead doesn't notice. To keep his own mind off those thoughts and to distract Kid a little, he wraps Catnip into the Captain's fur coat to keep her warm, entirely ignoring the low snarl coming from the Kid Pirate.

"What do you think? Rebuild the ship first and then start searching?" For once, Killer is thankful for the mask covering his entire face. There is no way in hell that he would have survived if Kid could see that smirk on his lips.

"No, you travel ahead and look for the crew. I'll repair the ship and catch up with you."

Law squints a little. It's unusual to see Kid thoughtful, brooding even and it makes him feel somewhat more nervous. If even that overly self-confident bastard seems concerned, they might be in deeper shit than he had originally anticipated.

"I propose a temporary alliance."

All eyes are suddenly on Law who, still leaning against Kid with Catnip safely tugged between them, takes a sip from his drink.

"You what?"

"The Government's obviously after both our crews. If we stick together, their chances decrease. Simple as that."

"I don't do alliances", Kid snarls yet again.

"He's right though. Might be something to consider for once. With our forces combined, we might be able to take out whoever is after us."

Killer doesn't flinch at the glare shot into his general direction, obviously used to it already. While Catnip curls up in the thick fur of Kid's coat, Law feels like he's about to doze off. Though the Captain smells of wet dog and copper, a comforting warmth oozes off the massive body and the broad shoulder suddenly seems quite appealing to lean against and take a nap. Busy day after all, nearly blown to bits and all.

"Stop being so fucking reasonable all the time."

With that, Kid hands Killer his glass for a refill and Law considers the matter settled.

Penguin though remains awfully quiet, his gaze fixed on his captain. Besides the bandaged leg and the strange situation they're in, there's something odd about him. Usually, Law isn't the touchy-feely guy at all. Especially not around someone who'd – under different circumstances – be considered an enemy. He takes a sip from his drink, incidentally digging the heel of his boot into Killer's toes when the slurping gets a little too noisy.


End file.
